Tag Archives: ISIS

THE LEVANT – Turkey has deployed tanks and armored vehicles to reinforce its border with Syria as the Turkish parliament prepares to authorize military action against Islamic State (IS) jihadists. But analysts warn these moves are being met with resistance as questions remain over what form military action would take. …

The Levant Exclusive – By Dr. Amer Al Sabaileh The US propaganda machine whirred back to life this week with the declaration of the launch of airstrikes against ISIS in Syria. The US marketing campaign is reminiscent of the 1960s rock band reunion tours, as they ‘put the band back …

THE LEVANT EXCLUSIVE – Washington (As your journalist continues narrating this segment of the day-long questioning of the “Radicalization and the Politics of Alienation” in the current Middle East from here in the American Capital, the United States — along with its Arab allies — finally strike the pitiless “Caliphate” …

The Levant Exclusive – PYD (Democratic Union Party) co-chair Saleh Muslim has issued an urgent call urging NATO, EU, and all relevant organizations to move quickly and urgently to prevent a genocide against Kurdish people in Kobanê. Muslim said and recalled that this time the town is being attacked …

THE LEVANT – Russia became the third nation to criticize the Obama administration on Thursday, following President Barack Obama’s announcement that he plans to expand a campaign of bombing against the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) to include targets inside Syria. Iranian and Syrian officials slammed the …

THE LEVANT – Throngs of civilians took to the streets of Deir Ezzor City to show their support for the Syrian Arab Army last night. The late night rally was estimated to have at least 2,000 civilians present in the heart of the city, where the Syrian Arab Republic flag was …

By Dr. Haytham Mouzahem for Islamist Gate – It was not surprising what the New York Times revealed on August 20, 2014 that ISIS had pressed the United States to provide 100 million Euros (about $132 million) as ransom for the release of the American journalist James Foley before killing …

THE LEVANT – By Badr Al Ibrahim – Certain religious and intellectual questions are posed in an attempt to understand terrorism. The resultant explanations are often weak and overlook factors such as political violence and political objectives. With the emergence of groups such as ISIS, we have returned to the atmosphere …

The Levant Exclusive – By Dr. Amer Al Sabaileh* Regional developments have created the pressure towards a solution to the ongoing security crisis created by the Islamic State in Iraq. While there are various aspects and pressure points, the challenges facing those countries bordering Iraq are still increasing. …

THE LEVANT – By Patrick Cockburn – Islamist forces are fighting their way into western Syria from bases further east, bringing forward the prospect of US military intervention to stop their advance. If Isis, which styles itself Islamic State, threatens to take all or part of Aleppo, establishing complete dominance over …

THE LEVANT – Al-Akhbar conducted an exclusive six-hour-long interview with Hezbollah Secretary General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. In a multi-part series published over the last two days, journalists Ibrahim al-Amin, Wafic Qanso, Hassan Ileik and Maha Zureikat sat down with the party’s leader, where he discussed in detail issues ranging from Syria, …

THE LEVANT – Al-Akhbar conducted an exclusive six-hour-long interview with Hezbollah Secretary General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. In a multi-part series published over the last two days, journalists Ibrahim al-Amin, Wafic Qanso, Hassan Ileik and Maha Zureikat sat down with the party’s leader, where he discussed in detail issues ranging from Syria, ISIS, the …

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) has crushed a pocket of resistance to its control in eastern Syria, crucifying two people and executing 23 others in the past five days, a monitoring group said on Monday. The insurgents, who are also making rapid advances in Iraq, are …

As ISIS wreaks havoc in Syria and Iraq, a store selling its merchandise in Istanbul shows the extent of the militant group’s appeal. By Joseph Dana for Slate ISTANBUL—In Turkey, it’s never easy to arrange interviews. This is especially true in Istanbul, where life is saddled by traffic and the near-constant …

THE LEVANT Exclusive – written by Jassem Mohammad, Translated by Mirvat Sibaii – Following the US invasion in 2003, the western region in Iraq has turned into an incubator and haven for al-Qaeda organization, and later for the organization of “Islamic State of Iraq” and other “Jihadi Organizations” that mingled …

Two soldiers were killed in fighting overnight in the town of Arsal and militants wounded at least seven others in the coastal city of Tripoli on Tuesday as violence persists for a fourth day near Lebanon’s northern borders with Syria. The flare-up brings to 16 the total killed so far, …

By Justin Salhani for The Daily Star – The eruption of clashes in Arsal over the weekend has thrust the tiny border town into the national spotlight, with long-brewing tensions there threatening to escalate into further violence. Arsal, a town 130 kilometers northeast of Beirut, has long been an important …

Source: Gulf News – Concerned but optimistic, Lebanon’s Foreign Minister, Gebran Bassil, pleaded with the international community to aid the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to confront terrorism. Bassil, who holds a civil engineering degree from the American University of Beirut and who previously served as Minister of Communications and …

Iran’s Majlis Speaker has slammed the US double standards toward the fight against terrorism, saying ISIL leaves US footprints in Iraq. “In responding to the world public opinion, US officials attach priority to the battle against international terrorism, but they openly and practically support the ISIL [terrorist] group… the ISIL …

THE LEVANT – By Jamie Dettmer – Analysts say the Islamic State is about to launch a major offensive—but one built around commando raids and suicide bombings rather than a frontal attack. When the minions of the self-anointed caliph in the self-declared Islamic State that now straddles Iraq and Syria blow …

Prince El Hassan bin Talal In recent days, we have read with horror about Christians being asked to leave the city of Mosul within 24 hours. We have also heard about the desecration of Christian holy spaces and their symbols — the bombing of churches and a cross being removed from …

Foreign Affairs Minister Gebran Bassil Friday condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza, and ISIS’ against Iraq’s Christians, as “war crimes,” saying that the government has approved the ministry’s request to the ICC to launch probes into the recent events. For the first time in its diplomatic history, Lebanon sent requests to the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor to …

THE LEVANT – The last Christian in Mosul, Iraq fled the city on July 19 at noon, according to reports. Hundreds of thousands of Christians evacuated weeks ago because of increasing violence at the hands of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), and thousands more left after the …

By Dr. Haytham Mouzahem for IslamistGate.com – Professor Ridwan Al-Sayyid is a well known Arab thinker and scholar. He is a professor of Islamic studies at the Lebanese University and a current member of the political bureau of Lebanon’s Future Party. Al-Sayed was also the advisor of …

THE LEVANT EXCLUSIVE – In yet another move which has shocked Iraqis, Daash, aka ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) has published a statement in which it warns Christians in the city of Mosul that if they do not convert to Islam they will face a harsh punishment. …

The Levant Exclusive – Catherine Shakdam, the editor in chief conducted an interview with Professor Vali Nasr earlier July 2014. If you don’t already know, Professor Vali Nasr is an American academic and author specializing in the Middle East and the Islamic world. Professor Nasr is currently Dean of the Johns Hopkins School …

THE LEVANT EXCLUSIVE – By Catherine Shakdam – The terror Titan, the unstoppable sprawling monster which managed to overtook and blindside Iraq armed forces and send thousands of soldiers running for the hills, ISIL – the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – now known as IS – the …

By Dr. Bryan R. Gibson for Islamist Gate – In the aftermath the terrorist attacks against the United States in September 2001, President George W. Bush warned of the consequences of terrorist groups or rogue states of acquiring nuclear materials. At the time, top White House officials warned: “The problem here …

Jul 13, 2014Iraq, Saudi ArabiaComments Off on How Saudi Arabia helped ISIS take over the north of Iraq

Written by Patrick Cockburn – For The Independent – How far is Saudi Arabia complicit in the Isis takeover of much of northern Iraq, and is it stoking an escalating Sunni-Shia conflict across the Islamic world? Some time before 9/11, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, once the powerful Saudi ambassador in …

By Dr. Haytham Mouzahem – For The Islamist Gate – As I had expected in November 2013[http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/11/al-qaeda-zawahri-baghdadi-split.html], The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant” (ISIL) has announced [on June, 30] the establishment of the Islamic Caliphate, and has named its emir, Abu Bakr Ibrahim Al-Baghdadi, as “emir of the believers” and …

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Saturday the US is required to take serious steps to fight the terrorism threatening the entire Middle East region. Addressing the reporters in a press conference in Damascus, Ryabkov said terrorism is by no means justified and must be combated and eliminated …

THE LEVANT EXCLUSIVE – By Catherine Shakdam – The most infamous Islamic radical of our time, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the very man who self-proclaimed his inception as Caliph of the Islamic State, remains somewhat of a shadowy figure, his past clouded in darkness. Very little is actually known of …

Laura Chiatroni Madrigali, the leader of Italy’s ‘Forza Popolare’ party, called for an immediate halt in financial and arms supports for the terrorist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL ISIS or Daesh), warning that the group is a vital threat to the whole world, specially the European states. …

Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces General Hassan Firouzabadi lashed out at Saudi Arabia for supporting Takfiri terrorist groups in Iraq, and said Riyadh’s support for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant will backfire soon. “If the ISIL win, they will definitely continue their offensive against …

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), has reportedly formed a cabinet to be in charge of his newly established “caliphate.” Documents published by The Telegraph newspaper this week revealed for the first time in details the structure of the group, which has claimed …

Hacktivist group Anonymous is said to be planning a series of cyber attacks against countries it accuses of arming and abetting the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) militant jihadist group. According to Forbes, the Anonymous campaign will be called Operation NO2ISIS. The hackers will attempt to subdue three countries …

Revolutionary Guards in Tehran raise their fists in support of Supreme Leader’s order for the country’s armed forces to take measures against the Taliban in Afghanistan, 15 September 1998. Photograph: Atta Kenare/EPA The Guardian – Tehran Bureau correspondent Merila, 30, has no love for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, but …

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK – The New York Times JULY 5, 2014 RIFFA, Bahrain — Black and yellow concrete barricades block the roads entering this wealthy Sunni enclave, where foreign-born Sunni soldiers in armored personnel carriers guard the mansions of the ruling family and the business elite. Beyond the enclave are impoverished villages …